Photos - The Korea Times

Rite of spring and full moon

By Shim Hyun-chul The country is covered with snow, and the subzero temperatures have gripped both the bodies and minds of everyone in the country. Even the thickest clothes flutter in the icy wind. But premature as it may seem, the bright sunlight and crisp air, forebode spring. And the lunar calendar confirms that “Ipchun,” the first day of spring, falls on Saturday. “Daeborum,” the first full moon of the lunar calendar, follows two days later. Already the moon is fattening itself up in preparation for the traditional festivities. The first day of spring is traditionally, celebrated with “ipchuncheop,” a handwritten poster with greetings for the change in seasons and good wishes. The most common phrases include “ip-chun-dae-gil,” or “may the coming of spring be blessed with great happiness,” and “geon-yang-da-gyeong,” which is roughly translated to “great news and good luck will take place in the new year.” The full moon was an important event during the agricultural period. Festivities included bonfires in the fields and smaller fires inside a can. The latter woul

Feb 2, 2012

Special Forces’ winter survival exercise

By Shim Hyun-chul Every winter, Special Forces troops undergo an extreme survival exercise on a snowy mountain in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province. The biting-cold temperature is no excuse for soldiers to skip the grueling nine-day annual training that continues until February. They practice infiltration skills as they wade through thick snow or glide down slopes with a rifle and a 30-kilogram pack. Shirtless soldiers hurl snow at their best chests, break thick ice and submerge themselves in icy water without a moment’s hesitation at temperatures below minus 20 degrees Celsius. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Kim Sang-ki also participated in the exercise, eating MREs (meal, ready to eat) and skiing together with the young soldiers to boost morale. “Today, I’m here to be one of you, Special Forces soldiers, and to undergo training together,” Kim said.

Jan 26, 2012

’Delivery for Seollal’

By Shim Hyun-chul It is 4 a.m. when the darkness of winter morning still prevails. However, one building is lit as bright as day. It is the Dongseoul Mail Center where mail and parcels are classified before being distributed across the country. Scores of delivery trucks unload massive supplies of parcels to the center, creating a rampart of boxes. People give gifts to their relatives and friends for “Seollal,” or Lunar New Year’s Day, and the season is one of the busiest times for the courier business. Local post offices are devoting all their energy to deliver the parcels safely and on time. Korea Post expects some 11.6 million letters and parcels will make their way to their destinations, an increase of about 350,000 from the previous year. An additional 3,000 employees have been assigned to handle them. The Dongseoul Mail Center is the largest mail center in Korea and more than 200 trucks come in and out of the facility during peak seasons.

Jan 19, 2012

Wonhyo pilgrimage

By Simon Phillips On Dec. 18, 2011, about 2 p.m., a group of pilgrims staggered into the site of “Wonhyo's Cave” high on Wonhyo-bong, a 510-metre peak southwest of Seoul. Some of them had been on the road for 15 days. They had achieved the first known re-enactment in more than 1,300 years of a journey the famous Korean Buddhist saint Wonhyo made from Gyeongju to the area of the cave, which now bears his name. Their journey exposed them to the heart of Korean kindness, and opened rare doors to the spiritual culture of the hermit kingdom. During the journey they had striven to look inside and emulate the level of self-understanding or enlightenment that Wonhyo had achieved in the area of the cave in the 7th Century. Many adventures befell them on the way. Chris McCarthy, an American Ph.D. student and the chief navigator of the group, said he feared the first day of the pilgrimage might be the last. "We got lost in a forest full of grey, leafless trees. There was no wildlife and we only occasionally heard the twitter of birds. It was a bit eerie. We discovered the rout

Jan 12, 2012

Exploration into ’Ocean world’

By Shim Hyun-chul, Park Si-soo YEOSU ― This southern port city is undergoing a last-minute makeover to host an international expo, whose opening is only five months away. The transformation, set to be finished by February, will turn the largely rural and tranquil fishing hamlet into a global arena where more than 100 countries and international organizations will share their state-of-the-art technologies for the eco-friendly use of oceans and coastal areas. The Yeosu Expo will run between May 12 and Aug. 12 next year under the theme “The Living Ocean and Coast.” The 93-day event will promote Korea’s ability to efficiently use the ocean and coastal areas for sustainable growth and, at the same time, serve as a “major multinational dialogue” to come up with best practices for the preservation and sensible development of oceans, coastal areas and maritime resources, according to the expo’s organizing committee. The committee aims to attract 8 million people, including 550,000 foreigners. The railroad for the KTX bullet train was extended to the venue late last yea

Jan 5, 2012By Shim Hyun-chul

2012 The Year of the Dragon

By Shim Hyun-chul The dragon symbolizes courage, hope and soaring to new heights in Korean culture. This imaginary animal was a sign of dignity and authority of the royal family during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). Among commoners, images of dragons appeared on furniture, in paintings and porcelain, as they were believed to protect from misfortune. The year 2012 is the Year of the Dragon and the National Folk Museum holds "Special Exhibition: The Year of the Dragon" through Feb. 27. The exhibition is themed “dragon and dream,” wishing everyone good luck for the New Year. In the palace, the dragon was the emblem of the king. The king wore royal robes with dragon designs and even the king's liquor jar was dragon-patterned. Paintings depicting legends of dragons are also on display. "Flag for Farmers' Music from Gimje" shows the dragon was considered as a god of water among commoners. In the last section, students from special education classes of Nowon Middle School and Baekwoon Middle School created a dragon sculpture. For more information, visit www.nfm.go.kr.

Dec 29, 2011

Jeju Island Five-Day Market

By Shim Hyun-chul The Jeju Island Five Day Market is always packed with people. Having been around for more than a century, it is one of the most historical and largest markets traditionally held every five days in Korea. The market, which provides an intimate insight into the life on Jeju Island, attracts numerous tourists. It is said that the market originated at the end of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) as a transaction point for “bobusang,” or bag merchants held in front of Gwandeokjeong, a historical pavilion. Then the market moved to Geonip-dong area in northern Jeju Island. In 1950, the market took place at a refugee camp. This continued during the Korean War (1950-1953). Some 1,000 shops, categorized into 22 sections, occupy a space of 67,531 square meters. A free parking lot for 1,400 cars is available as well. Though it is a folk market, it also offers fresh local produce and clothing. There is a special section called “halmangjangteo,” or marketplace for grandmothers. There, grandmothers above the age of 65 sell home grown vegetables. Located convenien

Dec 22, 2011

Yi Sun-sin Bridge

By Shim Hyun-chul The construction of the world's fourth largest suspension bridge is underway in the southern port city of Yeosu in South Jeolla Province. The bridge is named after the naval commander Yi Sun-sin (1545-1598), admired by Koreans for his victories against the Japanese navy during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1897). His main achievements include inventing the "Geobukseon" or "turtle ship" to defend the country against Japanese aggression. The Yi Sun-Sin Bridge is expected to become the new landmark of Yeosu, the host of the 2012 World Expo. The four-lane bridge has a total length of 2.26 km. The length between two main towers spans is 1.54 km, which is Korea’s largest and the world’s fourth longest suspension bridge after Japan’s Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, China’s Shawman Bridge and Denmark’s Great Belt Bridge. The bridge, connecting Yeosu and Gwangyang, is scheduled to open in October 2012. Upon completion, Korea will emerge as the world’s sixth country with self-sufficient technologies in the building of suspension bridges.

Dec 15, 2011

Dongmun Fisheries Market in Jeju Island

By Shim Hyun-chul Jeju Island is the largest island in Korea, known for its beautiful landscape. The volcanic island and its lava tubes are included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Jeju is also designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and was recently provisionally selected as one of the New7Wonders of Nature. Its scenic beauty and academic value as a volcanic region has already attracted tourists from across the world. But a loaf of bread is better than the song of many birds, and visitors find the greatest delight in the island’s delectable food. As Jeju Island is situated on the open sea, seafood is its specialty. Jeju Dongmun Fisheries Market is one of the best places to experience the freshness of the local products. It is full of freshlycaught fish and other items from the coastal waters. The market is only 10 minutes away from Jeju International Airport and attracts more than 3,000 customers a day. Open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., the market features a variety of seafood from fish to shellfish and salted goods on the 3,250 square meter site. It also provides a

Dec 8, 2011

From recipient to donor

By Park Si-soo BUSAN ― Skipping meals were a daily routine for most South Korean citizens with the territory devastated by the 1950-53 war against North Korea. With no medical services in place, many children and senior citizens fell sick and perished. The government struggled to find ways to feed and look after its people, but little progress was made. Against this backdrop, the arrival of ships carrying foreign aid products provided a ray of hope for the hunger-stricken country. The assistance enabled Korea to flex its muscles to revive its devastated villages, factories and other facilities necessary to survive on its own. This port city 450 kilometers south of Seoul was a major destination for foreign aid products. Roughly 60 years after the first arrival of foreign aid, Korea became an aid-giving state, paying nearly one trillion won ($887 million) or 0.12 percent of its Gross National Income (GNI) to assist fragile and developing countries through official development assistance. It plans to increase the ratio to 0.25 percent by 2015. These historical ph

Dec 1, 2011

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